Glen sat petrified in the wooden chair he was bound too. What had he done to deserve this? Only five days ago Glen had known nothing about the Magical Community, so why did Marco have to turn his life upside down? He had done nothing, not one single thing to deserve this! It wasn't as though Glen before he was born was able to choose which date he was going to be born on, he wasn't asked whether he wanted to be one of the cursed Seven Children! But as his sister's favourite saying went, "it's in the past, you can't change it, so deal with it". Deal with the fact that in under twenty four hours he was going to be dead. 

Glen felt the tears coming again and he forced them back. Happy memories, he told himself, think of happy memories. Alex once managed to trip up over her own feet and fell face first in a muddy field.  That was hilarious.  Glen wondered where Alex was right now.  What did Marco do to her?  She could be dead already for all he knew... No!  He couldn't think that way.  He had to think happy positive thoughts.  

Footsteps approached the cell and all happy thoughts vanished from Glen's mind.  Keys jingled and metal scrapped against metal.  The door handle twisted and Glen squirmed against the rope that bound him to the chair.  Please not another beating!  The door handle turned and the door opened.  A burly looking man with short black hair wearing black cargo pants and t-shirt walked in.  The shadows covered his face as he turned and shut the wooden door behind him.  The man stood and stared at Glen for a few seconds.

Glen closed his eyes and forced himself to not cry.  Don't be a baby, he told himself, don't cry, don't cry.

'Look at me,' the man said.  Glen whimpered and opened his eyes.  The man walked forward out of the shadows and Glen gasped.

'You!' snarled Glen.  The man looked shocked.  'I can't f**king believe this.  You work for him?' 

 The man hesitated.

'You're not supposed to-'

'Recognise you?'  Glen gathered all the saliva in his mouth and spat at the man.  'Well guess what dad I do!'

It was true.  Standing just metres away was the man who had walked out of Glen's life when he was only a toddler.  Years and years passed by without even a whisper of him.  Glen's dad looked thoroughly pissed off

'But Linda threw everything out!  All the photos, video tapes, everything!' he argued.  Glen laughed.  Oh this was funny.  His dad, Joe, had obviously not planned for this.  What had he planned to do?  To just walk in, have a peek what his sixteen year old son looked like then walk back out?

'I'm your son!  What do you think I would do?  Not try and find out who you were?  Grandad and grandma had a secret stash of photos, Natasha had some hidden under her bed ... and now, now you work for him!'  Glen spat at his dad's feet again.  'What a proud father you must be right now.  You know what, I'll even nominate you for a father of the year award as well once I get out of here.  Oh wait, that's right, I don't get to leave this place cause your boss is planning to kill me!'

'Shut up!' yelled Glen's dad.  He was fuming and clenching and unclenching his fists.  Glen glared at him in response.  There was a few seconds of silence until Glen broke down in tears.  He started to sob and looked down at his lap in shame.

'Please, just kill me now, I don't want Marco to do it,' begged Glen.  Joe stepped forward and lifted his son's head.

'I'm not going to kill you, I'm here to free you.'  Glen gasped and watched his father pull a pocketknife out of his pocket then yanked away at the robe.  

'But-'

'I'm not the best father in the world, but I am your father.'

'Why do you work for him?' Glen asked.  Joe sighed as the rope on the left wrist gave way.  He moved onto the next wrist.

'I was a jerk to you, your sister and your mother.  I couldn't do anything right.  I always let Linda down.  Every time she looked at me I saw how much I disappointed her.  I started doing some jobs for Marco's men, just little jobs for some extra cash but after a few gigs I realised that for the first time in my life I felt valued.  Marco rewards his employees and treats us well.  I knew that if I worked hard, reinvent myself and gained enough respect ... perhaps one day I'll make your mother proud.'

'How?'

'Because one day, I'll be able to do what your ruddy uncle can't do, save you.'  The rope on the right wrist fell away and Glen stretched his arms.  He stared at his dad looking so serious and concerned.

'How do we get out of this place?' Glen asked.

'You know how.  You need to use your power and get the hell out of here.'  Glen shook his head.

'I can't Marco.  I swore to Marco I never will.  He told me he would kill Alex if I did.'

'Alex is dead.'  The room started spinning.  Glen shook his head with disbelief.

'No, no that can't be true.'

'It is Glen.  I'm sorry.  You need to get out of here and save yourself.'

'No!' screamed Glen.  He jumped to his feet and kicked the wooden chair backwards.  It landed on the ground with a loud bang.  Joe flinched and glanced at the cell door.  'You're lying!  You're just saying this so I use my power.'

'I'm telling the truth!  I wouldn't lie to you.'  Glen burst out laughing.

'You abandoned me when I was two years old!  That's worse than lying!'

'You want me to say I'm sorry?  Cause I'm not.  If I didn't leave you who would be saving you right now?  Get over it, what I did was in the past, there's no point reminiscing about it,  so deal with it.'  Glen stared at his father.

'Natasha says that all the time.'

'Well she's a smart girl.  If you won't listen to me, listen to her.'  All of a sudden Glen couldn't stop the tears.  He collapsed to the fall in a heap of hysterical crying.  Alex ... she couldn't be .... no ...

'She's really ... gone?'  Joe painstakingly looked down at his messed up son and nodded.

'Yes,' he confirmed.  Glen banged his fist against the stone ground and sobbed harder.  His cousin ... his best friend ...

'You need to get out of here now son, I don't know how much time you have left.'  Glen sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

'I need to save the others-'

'No!  There's not enough time!'

'Alex sacrificed her life to save mine!  I need to save them now with or without your permission.'

'Glen-'

'Don't!'  Glen stood to his feet.

'I did not free you to risk your life!' argued Joe.  Glen took a breath and focused all his strength on Kirsty.  He could remember everything about her.  Her small stature.  Her confidence.  Her fierceness.  He could sense her soul just a few metres away.  It was time to save the Seven Children.

'Goodbye dad, it was nice knowing you.'

'Glen, wait-' cried Joe.  But it was too late.  With a blink of an eye Glen vanished.  

Joe's heart beat so loudly he wondered if he was going to have a heart attack.  He did not leave his family and risk everything so his son could disobey him.  He turned and just as he reached the wooden cell door alarms rang throughout the Underground Palace.  Joe swore aloud.  He set off at a run and made his way to the other children's cells.  Kirsty's - Empty.  Thomas's - empty.  Oliver's - empty.  Joe swore again.  He saw large group of guards marching his way.

'How the hell have they escaped?' Joe shouted at them.  The men cowered in fear.  Joe was high in command in the lower levels and to piss off Joe was an invitation to be sacked.

'It was Glen.  He used his power.  They're all gone!'  Joe swore and kicked the stone wall.  The men backed away.

'What are you all standing around for?  Go f**king get them!'  The men turned round and bolted away as fast as a bullet.  

Joe finally breathed.  His son had done it.  He was safe.  He was free.

*********

Ahhh!  This was so exciting to write.  Let me know what you think so far :)